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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: club · kid · content · cue · deal · ground · cap · craft

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — happy
  5. kid — child
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ground — a position
  24. club — for dancing

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