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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: charge · object · fine · stem · cue · band · sharp · cold

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. band — a music group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — a thing
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — all right
  19. charge — in control
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a rubber band
  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