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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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — the tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. land — ground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — a country
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — a hint
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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