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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: tear · pound · fine · cabinet · track · bear · cue · chip

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — a path
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — all right
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — in a computer

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