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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — a stone
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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