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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. clip — a video
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. staff — employees

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