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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cue — a hint
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hand — help
  17. game — a match
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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