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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: cue · content · stock · ball · toast · bound · fan · club

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — goods
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. toast — bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. club — for golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. club — for dancing
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. content — the amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stock — shares
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — happy

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