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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 116 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: firm · stock · cold · prune · bore · rash · key · cue

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — decided
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rash — a series
  19. cold — an illness
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — a company

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