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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — low music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — of the sea

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