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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — a price
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — for pool
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — to shout
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — a signal
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cell — a phone
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — an agreement

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