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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a line of people
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mark — a grade
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cue — for pool
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a tool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. clip — a video
  15. cue — a signal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a document
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — a stick

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