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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. track — a song
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a document
  6. cue — for pool
  7. capital — a city
  8. roll — a cake
  9. club — for golf
  10. capital — money
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — for dancing
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a signal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bound — obliged
  23. roll — a list
  24. cue — a hint

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