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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: pound · rush · bowl · tear · fine · cue · fan · jam

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rush — a thrill

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