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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 · game · band · charge · fall · plane · deal · cap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. band — a music group
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cap — a hat
  14. band — a ring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — electricity
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — the season
  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