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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: rush · wake · last · court · hide · cue · stock · mark

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — to go on
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — of law
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — a grade

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