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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: toast · bound · object · staff · date · cue · pitcher · suit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — the fruit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a signal
  22. object — an aim
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — on the calendar

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