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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: coach · rest · chip · game · cue · squash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a hint
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a kind of play

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