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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.

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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 · plane · bay · craft · coach · rule · perch · pop

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a horse colour

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