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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fine — all right
  4. band — a ring
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a music group
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — for a lock
  17. scale — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a signal

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