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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. net — after costs
  3. rash — hasty
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. net — in sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rash — a series
  11. track — a path
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — for catching
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — a signal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. press — to push

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