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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · drill · cue · last · club · pop · craft · pass

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. last — to go on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. drill — army training
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — for pool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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