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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: cue · fall · date · race · key · rule · plane · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rule — government
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — in music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. race — a contest

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