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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — shares
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — for pool
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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