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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: cue · rash · trunk · mouse · stock · sharp · racket · wave

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stock — shares
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — goods
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — hasty
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — a soup base

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