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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 ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a path
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stock — shares
  13. track — a song
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — goods
  24. suit — clothes

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