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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: craft · wake · spring · foot · pitch · saw · racket · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spring — the season
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a signal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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