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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: cue · deal · firm · season · jam · swing · net · sharp

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. swing — to play on
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — in sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. firm — decided
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. swing — music
  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