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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — in music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. charge — in control
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — letters
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spell — magic

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