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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — for sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — of law
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — of a king

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