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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 · stock · date · capital · bore · file · saw · pass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a document
  4. date — the fruit
  5. capital — a city
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — shares
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to drill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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