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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · game · cell · squash · calf · staff · cue

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. game — a match
  3. staff — employees
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — in biology
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — to crush

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