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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: stock · wax · mark · pitcher · lie · degree · cabinet · cue

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — shares
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a signal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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