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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — a series
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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