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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: cue · cap · squash · fan · bore · deal · land · cell

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. land — a country
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fan — to cool the air

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