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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — government
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — low music
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cold — not warm

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