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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — for golf
  4. date — the fruit
  5. court — of law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. court — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a hint
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — in control
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — a tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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