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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: pop · staff · snap · content · cue · ball · last · bark

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pop — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a dance
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — a hint
  14. last — to go on
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. content — happy
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. last — finally
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bark — of a tree

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