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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · nail · jam · ball · game · mate · rest · bat

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cue — a signal

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