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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — child
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. roll — a list
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — to tease
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — a cake
  23. charge — in control
  24. rest — what's left

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