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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. land — to come down
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cue — a signal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — low music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — the fish
  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