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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — a hint
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. craft — a skill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. toast — bread
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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