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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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