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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — in control
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — hurry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — a city
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cue — for pool

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