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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — to get on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kid — to tease

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