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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cue — a signal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — for pool
  9. land — to come down
  10. ball — a great time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — a country
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a hint

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