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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · cue · field · mug · hand · stick · lie · scale

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — a subject
  15. cue — for pool
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mug — a cup
  21. field — for sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mug — a face

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