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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: firm · dip · bank · date · perch · cue · cell · coach

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — a company
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cell — in biology
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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