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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cue — a signal
  6. court — of law
  7. face — to confront
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — for pool
  13. court — of a king
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. craft — a skill

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