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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: cap · lie · fan · content · staff · court · cue · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of a king
  15. cap — a lid
  16. court — for sport
  17. cap — a hat
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — tied together

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