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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — for pool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. season — of the year
  7. rash — a series
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. season — in sport
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — the most admired

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