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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — final
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — goods

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