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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: mouse · leaves · spell · craft · cue · board · cell · capital

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — to get on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spell — a short time
  15. capital — a city
  16. cell — a phone
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — money
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. craft — a handicraft

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