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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — of a king
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — of law
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — for pool

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