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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — happening now
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a signal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — of water
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — electric

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