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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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a great time
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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