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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
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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: stock · nail · cold · season · cue · dip · vault · swing

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — shares
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cue — a signal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. swing — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — in sport

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