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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 · plane · club · squash · snap · pit · cue · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — for dancing
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — a signal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — a group
  23. stock — goods
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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