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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: pop · wake · trunk · pass · race · jam · hand · cue

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — help
  14. cue — a signal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — to visit
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cue — for pool

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