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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: chip · row · coach · cue · current · cabinet · hand · bulb

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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