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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bore — to drill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cap — a hat
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — in music

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