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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — to eat
  16. charge — a price
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. game — wild animals

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