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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — a group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. charge — in control
  12. scale — size or range
  13. row — a line
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — in music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — the sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — for weighing

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