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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spring — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spring — the season
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a line of people
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. file — a tool

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