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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — bread
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. net — after costs
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — boats
  22. net — in sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stem — to come from

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