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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. 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. chip — in a computer
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — to protest
  7. present — the time now
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. 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