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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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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: hand · field · suit · deal · stock · cue · hide · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stock — shares
  3. suit — clothes
  4. field — for sport
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. hand — help
  11. field — farmland
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — in control
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — to handle
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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