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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: date · spring · firm · bass · toast · cue · rush · cap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cue — a signal
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — decided
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — a hint
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — the season
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bass — low music
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. cap — a hat
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cap — of ice
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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