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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · hide · land · suit · row · key · chair · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — for pool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — a country
  18. row — to paddle
  19. key — in music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — ground

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