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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — a signal
  14. capital — money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — of the year
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. capital — a city
  24. season — to add flavour

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