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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: spell · cue · lean · bowl · ground · stock · rash · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — thin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spell — magic
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — a football final

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