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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: date · deal · snap · jam · squash · band · cue · drill

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cue — for pool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — a signal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a rubber band

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