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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — what's left

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