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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — in sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — after costs
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hand — help
  22. row — a line
  23. can — a tin
  24. row — a quarrel

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