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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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