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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — of water
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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