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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: clip · field · cue · sharp · bowl · lean · craft · staff

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — for sport
  4. clip — a video
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. field — a subject
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — for paper
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — thin

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