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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pop — soda
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cue — a signal

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