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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cue — a hint
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a signal
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. craft — boats
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. capital — money
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. capital — a city
  24. craft — a skill

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