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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cue — for pool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. capital — a city
  10. last — final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. last — finally
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — money
  19. last — to go on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bulb — for light

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