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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: pitcher · cabinet · nail · clip · cue · chip · squash · kid

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — a hint
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — for betting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — for pool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kid — child

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