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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: kid · cue · object · cap · content · nail · last · saw

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — a thing
  5. kid — to tease
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — an aim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — final
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a signal

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