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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — to handle
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. track — a song
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — low music
  24. cell — in biology

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