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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 120 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: mark · squash · cue · hand · safe · stock · club · last

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — shares
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — help
  10. last — final
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — to go on
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — to crush

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