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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. squash — the sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — after costs
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — high quality
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a hint
  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