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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: wound · mouse · nail · fine · cue · chip · chair · pit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fine — all right
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — a leader

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