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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — a leader
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — all right
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hand — help
  17. staff — a stick
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a signal

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