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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. rock — music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — a stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cue — for pool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cap — a hat
  23. squash — to crush
  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