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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a signal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — government
  9. race — humankind
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — a price
  12. swing — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. race — a contest

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