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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cue — a signal
  5. craft — boats
  6. kid — child
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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