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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: jam · mate · object · net · cue · squash · game · date

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a hint
  5. game — a match
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mate — a friend
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — an aim
  20. cue — for pool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — a thing
  24. net — in sport

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