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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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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: can · cue · file · jam · stock · pitch · race · tear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. can — a tin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stock — shares
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — a tin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a line of people
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitch — completely
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. file — a document
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cue — for pool
  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