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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: drill · pop · cue · file · deal · jam · roll · ball

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pop — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — a practice
  6. file — a line of people
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a document
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. roll — a list
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a great time
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — army training

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