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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: squash · cabinet · swing · cue · jam · patient · cell · roll

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — a hint
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. swing — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cell — a phone
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — in golf
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — a cake
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — for pool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — in traffic

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