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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hand — in cards
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cue — a hint
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — help
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — a signal

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