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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. shower — rain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. scale — in music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. object — an aim
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a hint
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — a thing

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