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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — a phone
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — a price
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ball — a round shape

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