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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: wound · spell · cap · charge · bay · date · cue · content

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — electricity
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — in control
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — a price
  23. spell — magic
  24. content — the amount

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