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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: fall · ruler · jam · cue · bat · swing · kick · last

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — final
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — to go on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — a signal
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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