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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: rest · pit · chip · hand · present · cue · squash · cap

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — help
  6. pit — in a race
  7. present — there
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a hole
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rest — a break
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cap — a lid

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