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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a hint
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cue — a signal
  11. roll — a list
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. march — the month
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — a cake

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