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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a hint
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fall — to drop
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — happy
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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