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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. roll — a list
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bass — low music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cell — a phone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the instrument

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