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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitch — completely

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