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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. net — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. chip — for betting
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cell — a phone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — for pool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. net — for catching
  20. can — a tin
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  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