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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — all right
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — to crush
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. staff — employees
  24. snap — to click

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