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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — to handle
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rash — a series

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