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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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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 · swing · tear · cue · pitch · tube · plane · fork

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cue — a signal

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