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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 124 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — in control
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — a phone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — for spectators

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