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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. row — a line
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — to eat
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — for golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  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