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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mate — a friend
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a partner
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — to eat
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — electricity

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