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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · drill · mouse · pop · bass · charge · file · date

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a document
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bass — low music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cue — a signal

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