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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — a group
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a path
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. club — for golf

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