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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. file — a document
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. charge — in control
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — the animal

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