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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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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 · chair · net · cue · stand · wave · roll · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. net — for catching
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — after costs

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