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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: leaves · suit · chip · spring · firm · staff · cue · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — steady
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — for betting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — the season

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