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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. snap — to click
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. suit — clothes
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — soda
  22. pass — a permit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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