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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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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: mine · firm · cap · fine · kid · staff · bat · cue

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mine — for digging
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cap — a hat
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cue — for pool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — a hint

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