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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 · pitcher · land · deal · bound · rock · can · charge

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. land — ground
  2. bound — obliged
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — for pool
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — a price
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — a country
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — tied together
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — music
  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