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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: perch · jam · vault · rash · cue · game · spring · pop

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — of water
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pop — soda
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a match
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spring — a coil

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