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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pop — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — a container
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cell — in biology

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