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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: cue · mouse · drill · swing · charge · tear · firm · pop

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pop — soda
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — army training
  9. tear — to rip
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cue — a signal

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