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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — final
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — a signal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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