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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a document
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — thin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — to rest against

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