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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — for pool
  6. clip — a video
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — for paper
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — a country

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