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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cue — a signal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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