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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kid — child
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. net — for catching
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — after costs

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