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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · mouse · cue · rash · jam · spring · key · racket

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — of water
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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