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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · pop · cue · net · spell · patient · stick · cap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — for catching
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — soda
  20. cue — a hint
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — to visit

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