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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · face · snap · cue · mine · drill · ball · net

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — shares
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ball — a dance
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to click
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mine — for digging
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stock — goods
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — a soup base

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