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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a line
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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