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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 116 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: cap · season · prune · content · deal · fall · straw · cue

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — happy
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — for pool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a lid
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. season — in sport

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