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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 · toast · chip · roll · craft · chair · date · bulb

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — boats
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a skill
  21. roll — a list
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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