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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: dip · chip · cue · file · key · season · firm · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — steady
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a document
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. file — a tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — of the year
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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