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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. charge — a price
  2. spell — letters
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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