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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — certain
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bark — of a tree

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