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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — help
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a music group
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — finally
  17. bank — of a river
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — final

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