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

Word bank: cue · bowl · cell · craft · fine · rule

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — government
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — all right
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cell — in biology

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