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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. band — a ring
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a document
  9. band — a music group
  10. charge — electricity
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a line of people
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — for golf
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to click
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a hint
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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