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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. club — for golf
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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