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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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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: can · net · staff · snap · firm · cue · saw · roll

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — steady
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — a stick
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to click
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. staff — employees

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