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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mark — a trace
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — a grade

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