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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: cue · bore · rule · field · stock · fine · game · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — a subject
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. game — wild animals
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — all right
  12. rule — a law
  13. field — for sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — government
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — shares
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — to drill
  24. deal — a big deal

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