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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: swing · bound · toast · cell · cue · last · present · date

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — there
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — to go on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — bread
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — tied together
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — final
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a signal

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