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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: court · cue · saw · lean · mate · stock · stand · safe

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — for sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a signal

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