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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 120 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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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: pit · club · net · cue · tear · chip · mug · mate

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — in sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — for catching
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — for golf
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — to eat

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