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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — the arms race
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. clip — a video
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — for pool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cue — a hint
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — for betting
  24. march — music

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