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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. cue — a hint
  11. file — a tool
  12. kid — child
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. ruler — for measuring

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