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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: can · capital · cue · prune · club · charge · mouse · cell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. capital — a city
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. club — for dancing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mouse — the animal

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