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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — a stone
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — to eat
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — for sport
  24. cue — for pool

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