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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ground — crushed
  3. drill — army training
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a grade
  18. charge — in control
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — help
  24. plane — a tool

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