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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. land — ground
  9. row — a line
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. land — to come down
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — a country
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — size or range

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