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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — crushed

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