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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: mark · cue · bear · stock · file · club · lean · pitcher

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for dancing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. file — a document
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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