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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cue — a signal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — a series
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — army training
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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