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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — a division
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — music
  24. pop — music

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