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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — for pool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — a practice
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — all right
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — army training
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — a handicraft

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