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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cue — a signal
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — army training
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — to shout
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — in football

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