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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 116 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 ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — of law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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