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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: bowl · firm · cap · cue · date · stick · toast · content

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — the amount
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — a company
  11. cue — a hint
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — happy
  15. firm — decided
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — bread
  24. bowl — a dish

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