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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: leaves · mouse · wound · snap · jam · deal · court · cue

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. snap — to click
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of a king
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. court — of law
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — for sport

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