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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · jam · plane · racket · wave · cap · spring · bass

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cue — for pool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — a lid
  18. plane — a tool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — the season

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