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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 116 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: squash · charge · tube · row · cue · hand · club · last

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — a signal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. squash — the sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. club — for golf
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hand — help
  23. row — a line
  24. cue — for pool

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