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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — a law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cue — for pool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — a city
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — money
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bear — the animal

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