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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 116 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 · bass · band · chair · kid · hand · sharp · cue

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. band — a music group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hand — help
  10. kid — child
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — low music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a ring
  24. cue — for pool

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