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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — obliged
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chip — for betting

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