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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: cell · hand · snap · stock · cue · staff · bulb · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — help
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cell — a phone
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — a signal
  17. row — a line
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — in biology
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. row — a quarrel

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