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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — goods
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mouse — the animal

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