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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — to eat
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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