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

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. craft — boats
  3. staff — a stick
  4. suit — in cards
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — after costs
  11. last — finally
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — in sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — to go on
  17. row — a line
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cue — for pool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. last — final
  24. staff — employees

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