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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: season · shower · jam · deal · chip · racket · wax · cue

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. chip — to eat
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cue — a signal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chip — for betting
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. deal — a big deal

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