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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. season — of the year
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — child
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. season — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stock — shares

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