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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — letters
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. snap — to click
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cue — a hint
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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