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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: row · stick · foot · tear · jam · cue · wake · ball

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. ball — a round shape

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