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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cue — a hint
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. object — to protest
  16. firm — decided
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. object — a thing
  19. content — the amount
  20. stem — to come from
  21. object — an aim
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stem — of a plant

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