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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — a practice
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — government
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — of law
  12. drill — army training
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of a king
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cue — a signal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — to rule out

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