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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: kid · net · jam · drill · cue · stick · bore · cell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — for catching
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cue — a signal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — after costs

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