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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: cue · bass · craft · court · mark · wind · arm · bore

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — of a king
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. court — of law
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a grade

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