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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. roll — a list
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — to visit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — an illness
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cue — for pool

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