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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a signal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. charge — in control
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — a position
  24. cue — for pool

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