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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 116 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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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 · wind · cue · swing · wake · pit · ruler · craft

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. swing — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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