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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: cue · saw · dip · stick · content · swing · roll · racket

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. swing — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — in golf
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cue — a hint
  24. content — the amount

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