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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · rash · swing · bowl · straw · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — a series
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. swing — in golf
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — in traffic

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