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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cue — a signal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — help
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kick — in football
  21. rule — a law
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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