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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — for sport
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — all right
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — happy
  19. court — of law
  20. cell — in biology
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — high quality
  23. court — of a king
  24. cell — a phone

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