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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: hand · date · bore · cue · cabinet · rash · stock · ground

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — a position
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hand — help
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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