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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 · ground · mouse · cue · sharp · rest · drill · march

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — crushed
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. march — music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — army training
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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