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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: cell · stick · march · date · court · bay · toast · cue

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — of a king
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. toast — bread
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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