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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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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: toast · cue · board · wave · stock · snap · swing · wake

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — in golf
  16. toast — bread
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — a committee
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wake — a trail

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