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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. game — wild animals
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tube — a container
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. game — a match
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a music group
  12. last — to go on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  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