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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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Word bank
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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: can · spring · cue · dip · deal · fine

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — the season
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — of water
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — to handle
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to dunk

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