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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: craft · cue · cell · wind · stand · firm · club · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — a company
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — steady
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cell — in biology
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. club — for golf
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — decided
  23. club — a group
  24. cell — in a prison

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