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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. charge — in control
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — a price
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — a hint
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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