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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. degree — from a university
  10. land — to come down
  11. mug — to rob
  12. degree — temperature
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — to play on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — ground
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mug — a face

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