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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — not warm
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. roll — a list
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — for pool

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