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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: cue · saw · nail · chair · chip · safe · net · clip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — the tool

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