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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: stock · rule · field · date · toast · cue · swing · jam

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — a subject
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. swing — music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. field — farmland
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — for sport
  17. rule — a law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stock — goods
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — in golf
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. stock — shares

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