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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 116 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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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 · wound · mouse · stand · game · stock · trunk · scale

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cue — for pool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. game — a match
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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