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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — electricity
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to click
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — in control
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a hint
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — a group
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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