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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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Word bank
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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: bore · scale · cue · stock · stand · bear · mug · file

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a document
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. file — a tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a signal
  24. file — a line of people

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