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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: cue · degree · stock · mouse · pit · fan · track · rest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — shares
  11. degree — an amount
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — goods
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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