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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: ground · court · chip · cue · wave · stick · date · wound

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — a position
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — of a king
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chip — for betting
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. court — for sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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