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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. charge — a price
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. last — final
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — shares
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — in control
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. last — finally
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mine — for digging

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