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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pop — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. season — in sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. season — of the year
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chip — to eat

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