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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · mate · squash · stock · cue · racket · cold · staff

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mate — a partner
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — a hint
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — for pool
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. cold — the Cold War

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