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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: content · bass · fine · cap · cue · lash · stick · kid

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — child
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. content — happy
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a hat

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