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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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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: stick · racket · stock · mate · pass · chair · swing · cue

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — shares

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