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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — for pool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. net — for catching
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — letters

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