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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — soda

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