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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — to fit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. suit — clothes

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