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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — of the year
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. season — in sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a skill

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