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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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