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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. field — a subject
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — for sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — a trail
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cue — a hint
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rule — government
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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