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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — for golf
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. craft — boats
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — in music
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — farmland
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — a subject
  19. mate — to breed
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. club — for dancing
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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