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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fall — to drop
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for golf

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