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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: stock · rock · land · club · cue · bulb · snap · rest

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — to come down
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — goods
  22. cue — a signal
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — for pool

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