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

Word bank: foot · mate · cue · object · pit · stock · wake · tear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. object — to protest
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — a trail
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — a thing

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