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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — low music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — for pool
  10. charge — in control
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. charge — electricity

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