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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — in music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. roll — a list
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of a king
  24. safe — a strongbox

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