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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: hide · cabinet · squash · file · fine · cue · pop · stock

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — for pool
  13. file — a tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — soda
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — to visit

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