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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cue — a signal
  10. snap — to click
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mug — a face
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mug — a cup
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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