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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — to eat

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