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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. craft — boats
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kid — to tease
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hand — help
  13. date — the fruit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — in cards
  24. arm — part of the body

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