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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 120 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: mouse · stock · cue · bank · ground · land · bear · game

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — goods
  23. cue — for pool
  24. game — a match

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