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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. march — the month
  8. current — happening now
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — a signal
  11. current — of water
  12. spell — a short time
  13. march — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — electric
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — magic

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