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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mate — a friend
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — to breed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a signal
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a list
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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