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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — army training
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — child
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. present — there
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. charge — a price
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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