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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: stock · hide · nail · date · bulb · stand · cue · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stock — goods
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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