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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — a law
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lean — to bend
  10. clip — a video
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — on your feet

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