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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · craft · cue · club · date · cell

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — a hint
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — a company
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cue — for pool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — for golf
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. cell — a phone

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