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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 · shower · rock · cap · charge · staff · tube · board

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cue — a hint
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — in control
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — a stick
  24. charge — electricity

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