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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: sharp · face · chip · pop · key · stem · present · cue

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — there
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pop — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — the most important part
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chip — in a computer

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