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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: squash · craft · fan · net · saw · cue · mouse · patient

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. net — after costs
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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