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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — the sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cue — for pool
  11. march — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — the month

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