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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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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. charge — electricity
  8. root — of a word
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. root — the cause

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