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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: wound · racket · stock · mark · cap · hand · bear · cue

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hand — help
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cue — a hint

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