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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a round shape

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