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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: chair · can · pop · wound · stock · cue · rule · club

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — a law
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chair — a leader
  20. club — a group
  21. rule — government
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — to sit on

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