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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — to protest
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — for pool
  7. object — a thing
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — to paddle
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — shares
  16. current — of water
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — electric
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. row — a line
  24. current — happening now

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