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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — the fish
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — a match
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. racket — for tennis

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