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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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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: mate · court · wound · chip · pop · mug · face · cue

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — to breed
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — of law
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cue — for pool
  15. court — of a king
  16. pop — soda
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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