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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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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 · race · fine · ground · stick · cue · face · deal

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fine — all right
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — to confront
  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