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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — the fruit
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — a signal

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