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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: fall · pop · cue · patient · bass · row · craft · spell

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. row — a line
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — a short time
  21. craft — boats
  22. bass — low music
  23. fall — to drop
  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