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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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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: kid · cue · pound · bay · rule · band · fan · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — a hint
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — boats
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. band — a ring
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fan — a supporter

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