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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — goods
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — in golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — to play on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — exactly

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