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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 120 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: straw · bowl · game · can · row · cue · stock · club

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — a line
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. game — a match
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — a signal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. club — for golf

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