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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — soda
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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