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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a hint
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — there
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — a path
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. track — a song
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — for betting

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