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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. present — the time now
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spring — the season
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — a coil
  22. present — there
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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