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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: cue · spring · saw · jam · content · ball · net · wave

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — for catching
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — after costs
  12. spring — the season
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. saw — the tool

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