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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: club · file · band · mark · row · wave · craft · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. file — a tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — boats
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a line of people
  18. row — a line
  19. cue — a hint
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a rubber band

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