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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 cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — a video
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — a stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — clever

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