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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. club — for golf
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — a group
  9. court — for sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a word
  14. court — of a king
  15. face — to confront
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — of law
  22. chest — a box
  23. cue — for pool
  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