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

Word bank: racket · scale · snap · stand · cue · bay · land · rash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cue — a hint
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — in music
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — a series

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