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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: jam · bat · calf · squash · board · cue · stick · lie

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — to get on
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — to crush

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