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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: stock · rash · mate · cue · degree · cabinet · bear · field

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. field — farmland
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — hasty
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — a series

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