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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: cell · ruler · ball · pass · pop · cabinet · chip · snap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ball — a great time
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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