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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — low music
  12. pop — soda
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stock — shares
  24. pop — to visit

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