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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · object · craft · row · rush · cue · rock · club

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — music
  6. row — a line
  7. cue — a signal
  8. club — for golf
  9. object — a thing
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. club — a group
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rush — 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