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

Word bank: deal · pop · game · cue · snap · hide · band · cell

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to click
  13. pop — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cue — a signal

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