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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chest — a box
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. dip — to dunk

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