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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — after costs
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chest — a box
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pass — to succeed

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