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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: arm · date · bank · staff · mate · cue · pit · stock

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bank — of a river
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bank — for money
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a hint
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bank — for money

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