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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 120 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: firm · cell · net · rest · cue · dip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cue — for pool
  3. net — in sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — a company
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — what's left

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