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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 · bank · cue · foot · date · bass · bat · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cue — a hint
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bass — the fish
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bass — the instrument

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