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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cell — a phone

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