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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — help
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — a subject
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to drill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. field — for sport

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