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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — all right
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. cold — not warm
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — on a roll

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