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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 play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — in sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a signal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — tied together
  17. season — of the year
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — the most important part
  23. band — a music group
  24. season — to add flavour

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