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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 · lie · cue · mine · mate · craft · pit · bass

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — boats
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bass — low music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mine — an explosive

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