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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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