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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: pit · last · cue · board · foot · craft · root · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — final
  8. craft — boats
  9. root — the cause
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — to get on
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a skill
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a dance

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