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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · craft · can · pit · current · game · cold · squash

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — to be able to
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — electric
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — of water
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cold — not warm
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — in a race
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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