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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — to eat
  16. plane — a tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — in music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — for a lock

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