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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: hide · present · stock · cell · cue · pit · racket · content

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. content — happy
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — the amount
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — a signal
  24. present — there

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