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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: bowl · bay · staff · cap · wake · cue · patient · toast

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cue — a hint
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cue — a signal
  8. toast — bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — a sick person

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