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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — a contest
  9. present — a gift
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — all right
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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