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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · chip · game · straw · cue · bank

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bank — of a river
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — a match
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — an agreement

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