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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — to eat
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. shower — rain
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cue — for pool
  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