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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. hand — help
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — hurry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rush — to hurry

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