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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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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: rash · cue · mate · foot · stand · mouse · chip · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — a series
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — to bear

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