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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — a series
  12. chip — to eat
  13. content — happy
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — hasty
  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