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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: cue · bay · pop · mate · cell · nail · staff · date

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — soda

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