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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rest — a break
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cap — a hat
  21. craft — boats
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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