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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · row · drill · cue · stock · mine · fan · stick

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — a line
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cue — a signal
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — for digging
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stock — goods
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — a kind of play

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