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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. staff — a stick
  3. race — a contest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. clip — a video
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — for paper
  22. race — humankind
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chip — for betting

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