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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 120 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: cue · stem · game · pop · can · bay · nail · craft

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — to come from
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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