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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 120 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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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: chip · straw · chair · cue · mark · stick · scale · plane

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — for pool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — a leader
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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