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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. court — of a king
  7. chip — to eat
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. date — the fruit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — on your feet

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