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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: bound · fan · land · wake · charge · cue · lash · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cue — a signal
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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