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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: field · stock · cue · foot · bear · cabinet · mate · current

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — a measure
  19. field — for sport
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — shares
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a partner

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