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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. court — for sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. court — of a king
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. court — of law
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — to shout

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