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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. capital — a city
  15. ball — a dance
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cue — for pool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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