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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: chip · clip · stock · leaves · mug · cue · tube · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a face
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — a container
  19. clip — a video
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — to cut

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