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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — the amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. game — a match
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — a weight
  23. swing — to play on
  24. can — to be able to

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