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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — a signal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — a hint
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — the most important part
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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