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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a song
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — a hint
  11. club — a group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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