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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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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: band · cue · ball · wake · racket · wound · spell · charge

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — a price
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a dance
  18. band — a music group
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — a signal

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