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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · cue · bark · board · capital · bear · season

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — in sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. charge — a price
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a friend
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — to breed

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