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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: rock · staff · snap · suit · ruler · last · club · track

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — to go on
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — final
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — finally
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — a stick
  17. track — a path
  18. suit — to fit
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. club — a group

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