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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: chip · mug · hide · wind · club · race · cue · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — humankind
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for golf
  17. race — a contest
  18. cue — a hint
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — for betting
  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