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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — to eat
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. can — to be able to
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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