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

Word bank: net · kick · fall · kid · chair · root · chip · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. root — of a word
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. kid — child
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — the season
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — in sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — for pool
  24. 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