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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — for sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stem — to come from
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. degree — an amount
  19. board — a committee
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. cue — a hint

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