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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — child
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. cue — a hint

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