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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: bowl · nail · charge · pop · file · cue · ball · spell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — a price
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pop — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cue — a hint
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. file — a document

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