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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — obliged
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bound — certain
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cue — a signal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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