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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: bank · pop · cue · jam · temple · pass · foot · sharp

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — a permit
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pop — soda
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — a measure

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