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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hand — help
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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