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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 116 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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