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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — a match
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a hint
  20. court — of a king
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — wild animals

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