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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 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a signal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. present — there
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift

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