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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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