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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: racket · bay · deal · cue · can · cap · swing · date

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cue — a signal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. deal — a big deal

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