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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — thin
  20. season — of the year
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — in sport
  23. file — a document
  24. wake — before a funeral

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