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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in biology
  24. craft — a handicraft

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