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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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Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — for pool

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