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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: bay · nail · sharp · row · charge · cue · pop · cabinet

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — a price
  10. pop — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a line
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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