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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a document
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cue — a signal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cue — a hint

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