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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — of ice
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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