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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to click
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a skill
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. staff — a stick
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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