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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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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: wake · content · cell · suit · stock · cue · pitch · perch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — happy
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. suit — to fit
  24. perch — for a bird

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