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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: lie · can · cue · squash · date · stock · fall · bowl

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. date — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — to crush
  24. date — on the calendar

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