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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: pound · mine · cue · jam · cell · stick · rush · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rush — hurry
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — for pool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. deal — an agreement

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