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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: rest · straw · chip · track · current · cabinet · perch · cue

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — for pool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — a hint
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a song
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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