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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · cue · lash · net · game · craft · march · patient

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. key — in music
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — a match
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — for catching
  17. march — the month
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — wild animals

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