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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — a group
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cue — for pool
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — hasty
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — shares
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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