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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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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: mate · straw · wind · cue · jam · race · bowl · pitcher

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — a contest
  3. mate — to breed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cue — a hint
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. race — humankind
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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