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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · chest · date · wave · spell · bass · racket · cue

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — a signal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a hat
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cap — of ice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — magic
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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