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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — a thing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — an aim
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — a match
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a face
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — in control

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