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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — a signal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a face
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — a price
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. band — a ring
  24. stock — goods

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