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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: craft · kick · foot · wound · pitcher · mark · cell · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — in football
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — a thrill

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