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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: track · fine · object · spring · cue · net · cold · chip

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — of water
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — a path
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. spring — the season
  19. cold — not warm
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — a signal
  22. object — a thing
  23. cold — an illness
  24. object — to protest

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