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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. race — humankind
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — a contest
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mouse — the animal

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