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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: rock · firm · cue · face · pitcher · bank · wake · stock

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rock — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to confront
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — a hint
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — steady
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — of a river

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