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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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. mark — to pay attention
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cue — a signal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. race — a contest
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. court — of law
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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