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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 120 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: charge · rule · chair · cue · cell · sharp · track · pass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in biology
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cue — a signal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — a professorship

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