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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — to eat

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