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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: jam · date · bay · cap · deal · cue · club · straw

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cap — of ice
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cue — for pool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cue — a signal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — a lid
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cap — a hat
  24. club — a group

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