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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: cue · cabinet · wax · toast · cell · bat · chip · pitch

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. toast — bread
  20. bat — the animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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