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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — boats
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — a city
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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