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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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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: bay · rush · craft · mate · cue · racket · spring · march

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — a skill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spring — of water
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spring — the season
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — for tennis

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