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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a match
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stock — shares
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rush — to hurry

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