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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. staff — a stick
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a music group
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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