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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hand — help
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — a price
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — a match
  20. content — the amount
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a hint
  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