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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — a gift
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — money
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a list
  22. capital — a city
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — there

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