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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.

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: squash · sharp · stock · cue · pit · current · shower · fine

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — all right
  24. shower — rain

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