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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — boats
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. band — a music group
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — shares
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stock — goods
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mug — a face

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