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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — the season
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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