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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — a price
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — a signal
  18. board — to get on

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