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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — a hint
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — to come from
  12. staff — a stick
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — in cards

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