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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — a group
  3. net — after costs
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. charge — in control
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. club — for golf
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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