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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: bound · charge · date · race · bay · cue · spell · pop

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — soda
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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