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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: plane · root · toast · stick · cue · capital · cell · date

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. capital — a city
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — a phone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. capital — money
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a word
  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