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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: game · hand · jam · shower · spring · cue · swing · ruler

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — a hint
  15. swing — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cue — for pool
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hand — help
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spring — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — in traffic

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