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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: pit · foot · snap · ruler · craft · cue · bulb · land

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cue — for pool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. craft — boats
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. land — to come down
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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