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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — there
  14. cue — a hint
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — help
  20. cue — for pool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — the time now
  24. fan — to cool the air

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