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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cue — a signal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pound — a weight
  7. court — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. court — of a king
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. charge — in control
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. safe — out of danger

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