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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — a signal
  5. face — to confront
  6. last — finally
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. face — part of the head

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