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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for golf
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — in cards
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. club — a group
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. suit — to fit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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