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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: bowl · race · content · roll · charge · cue · bay · mark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — a price
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — in control
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. race — humankind

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