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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — a stick
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — for digging
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. deal — to handle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cue — a signal
  23. staff — employees
  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