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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 116 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: cue · bay · rash · chip · present · row · stick · current

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — happening now
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — the time now
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. present — a gift
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — there
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rash — a series
  24. chip — in a computer

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