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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — for pool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a dance
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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