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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. craft — a skill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — happy
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mug — a face
  14. craft — boats
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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