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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — thin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — boats
  15. track — a path
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a signal
  22. season — of the year
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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