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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cold — not warm
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. craft — boats
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a skill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cue — for pool

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