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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. court — of a king
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — for sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — in music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — for a lock

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