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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — there
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cue — a signal
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — low music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — a gift
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — army training
  21. band — a music group
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. band — a ring

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