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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — thin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fall — the season
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — on the calendar

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