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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 go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — a video
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rash — hasty
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kid — child
  18. rash — a series
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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