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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 · sharp · firm · stick · date · pitcher · stock · craft

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — goods
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — decided
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. firm — steady

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