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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. snap — to click
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — a law
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — a hint
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rule — government
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — for weighing

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