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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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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 · net · charge · mate · club · race · lash · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — in control
  6. race — a contest
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for dancing
  13. race — humankind
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — electricity
  24. race — the arms race

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