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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pop — soda
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — thin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. squash — the vegetable

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