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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — a signal
  5. current — of water
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. last — final
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — help
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. last — to go on
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — finally
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — happy
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to succeed

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