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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — a price
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — government
  5. charge — in control
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. current — electric
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — happening now

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