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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rock — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hand — help
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — a song

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