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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. snap — to click
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. object — to protest
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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