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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. staff — employees
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — a safe

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