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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — a skill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — a hint
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. roll — a list
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wake — a trail
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — help
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hand — in cards
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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