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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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