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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — for pool
  5. land — a country
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — in control
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — a price
  21. band — a music group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — a measure

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