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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. craft — a skill
  3. last — final
  4. roll — a list
  5. drill — army training
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — the fruit
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — a practice
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. drill — the tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  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