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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cue · craft · stick · mug · can · clip · season · cap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — of ice
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mug — to rob
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — of the year
  21. clip — a video
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — a lid
  24. season — in sport

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