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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — for betting
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of law
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a hint
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cue — a signal

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