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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. band — a music group
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fork — in a road
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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