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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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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: race · stick · charge · file · wake · board · cue · fine

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a document
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cue — for pool
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. race — humankind
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. board — to get on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — a committee

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