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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — a measure
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a signal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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