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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — a hint
  14. press — to push
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a signal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. band — a music group
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com