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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — in sport
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — a container
  19. cue — for pool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — a path

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