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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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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: arm · band · row · craft · fork · patient · cue · season

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. craft — boats
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cue — a hint
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — of the year
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a line
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. arm — a part of something

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