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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stock — goods
  7. track — a path
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — a series
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in biology
  18. craft — boats
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — the cause
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — of a word

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