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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — to eat
  7. net — after costs
  8. last — final
  9. cue — a signal
  10. net — for catching
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — to go on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — in sport

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