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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 · mate · chip · foot · hand · cabinet · toast · ruler

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cue — a signal
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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