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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.

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: cue · craft · field · squash · mate · net · chest · bulb

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — for catching
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a signal
  17. net — in sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a skill
  22. field — for sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — after costs

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