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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: content · swing · cue · kid · fine · bass · lash · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — child
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — music
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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