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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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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: file · chip · wax · cue · pitch · vault · present · patient

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. file — a document
  15. present — the time now
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — there
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — in the ear

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