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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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. roll — a cake
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — tied together
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — a list
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — certain

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