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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. craft — a skill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — a big deal

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