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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cap — a hat
  24. clip — a video

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