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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: cue · staff · snap · stand · bark · object · charge · key

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — a price
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — an aim
  9. bark — to shout
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — in music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — to protest
  23. cue — for pool
  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