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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — a hint
  6. craft — a skill
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. march — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pop — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — soda
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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