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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fine — all right
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — a song
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — in a computer

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