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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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