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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — a trail
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cue — for pool

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