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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: bore · net · cue · wake · foot · chip · game · craft

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — a match
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — boats
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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