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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: cue · pitcher · calf · chair · chip · track · file · fan

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a hint
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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