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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: bay · firm · chip · cue · bass · tube · tear · fan

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — a container
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — low music
  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