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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 120 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
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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 · tube · craft · field · arm · court · coach · wax

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. field — farmland
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cue — a signal
  6. field — for sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. court — for sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — of a king
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. craft — boats
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of law
  24. cue — for pool

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