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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: deal · land · mug · cue · cell · craft · patient · pit

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a hole
  5. land — ground
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — to come down
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — for pool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — a phone
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pit — in a race
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — a signal

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