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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — in control
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — the season
  9. charge — electricity
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — of the year
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — in sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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