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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: key · craft · land · cue · staff · hand · bark · press

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — newspapers
  7. key — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — to push
  20. hand — help
  21. land — a country
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — a publisher

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