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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — boats
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. date — the fruit
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — in a road
  15. court — of a king
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — for catching
  24. cue — a hint

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