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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. band — a ring

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