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

Word bank: firm · drill · stock · fine · race · cue · sharp · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mate — a partner
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. race — a contest
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a signal
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — army training
  24. stock — shares

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