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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — help
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — electric
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. current — happening now

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