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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — part of the head
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. face — to confront
  18. sharp — clever
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — to eat
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to sink

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