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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 116 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: stock · stick · perch · cue · dip · ball · mug · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rash — a series
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — a signal

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