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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 124 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: cue · chip · wake · tube · craft · pitcher · shower · press

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — a container
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — to push
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — to wash
  17. craft — a skill
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cue — for pool

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