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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rest · drill · fork · cue · cell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — a practice

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