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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. field — for sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — for a lock
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — for pool

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