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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — a line
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — a weight
  15. charge — a price
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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