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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. race — a contest
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — a video
  15. firm — decided
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a hint
  21. race — the arms race
  22. clip — for paper
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. field — farmland

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