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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — all right
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a document

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