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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a hint
  19. club — for dancing
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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