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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. file — a tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — the amount
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — happy
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. file — a document
  21. kid — to tease
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — to bear

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