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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kick — a thrill

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