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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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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: saw · stick · cold · stock · root · firm · rash · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — decided
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — goods
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. firm — steady
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a word

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