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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: cell · nail · cue · sharp · root · content · calf · cap

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cell — in biology

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