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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — to eat
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — of law
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. suit — to fit

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