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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — to pay attention

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