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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: squash · cell · cue · deal · craft · swing · charge · capital

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. swing — to play on
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a city
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. squash — the sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. capital — money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — to handle
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — a skill
  24. charge — in control

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