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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
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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 · bulb · can · tear · key · board · chip · shower

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — a hint
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — in music

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