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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: ruler · charge · tear · chip · roll · club · rock · cue

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for golf
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rock — a stone
  20. roll — a cake
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — music
  24. chip — for betting

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