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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — a line
  4. cue — for pool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — boats
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — a signal
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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