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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: game · bat · date · rash · cue · bay · jam · craft

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — boats
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. game — a match
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — wild animals
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — for pool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — a series
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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