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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — a group
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cap — of ice
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kick — in football

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