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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — soda
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — for pool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — of water
  23. pop — music
  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