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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — for digging
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. capital — money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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