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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — shares
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — an aim
  13. cue — a hint
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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