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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — to protest
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — an aim
  10. net — after costs
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — for catching
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. charge — a price
  17. object — a thing
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chip — in a computer

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