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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — decided
  14. cue — a hint
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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