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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: tube · mine · chip · bound · cue · swing · sharp · wind

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — to play on
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — for digging

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