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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · arm · stock · cell · hand · track · snap · cue

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — for pool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — a thing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — in biology
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hand — help

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