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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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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: wave · scale · swing · racket · kid · cue · saw · jam

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. swing — in golf
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. scale — size or range

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