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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — for betting
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — a signal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. clip — a video
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. file — a document
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chair — a professorship

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