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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: roll · chip · stand · patient · cap · rule · wax · cue

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. roll — a cake

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