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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — a video
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. suit — clothes
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stock — shares
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cue — a hint

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