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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · rash · cue · rule · tear · scale

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — a law
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint

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