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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. press — to push
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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