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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — in control
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — in sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cue — for pool
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. content — happy

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