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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pop — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — to sink
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — to cut
  20. row — a line
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — soda

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