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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — a stick
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. court — of law
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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