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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — rain
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — to wash
  9. present — a gift
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — there
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — for betting
  24. present — the time now

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