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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — soda
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pop — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — in control
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — on a finger

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