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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: cue · rest · stock · field · mine · snap · rush · fan

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. field — farmland
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — a break
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — for sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — goods

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