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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — in a computer

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