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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: firm · craft · bay · hide · cue · trunk · bat · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — a match
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. craft — a handicraft

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