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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 · pop · pass · chip · board · cue · court · bat

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. court — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — a position
  15. court — of law
  16. pop — soda
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pop — to visit

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