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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — for digging
  4. race — a contest
  5. snap — to click
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — shares
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — humankind
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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