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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: object · arm · cue · cell · craft · club

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. object — an aim
  4. club — a group
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — for golf
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — to protest

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