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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cue — a signal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — to play on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. swing — in golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. branch — a division
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. swing — music
  24. chair — to sit on

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