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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. last — final
  20. court — of law
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. court — for sport

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