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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: chip · game · bowl · hand · roll · lean · cue · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cue — for pool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — help
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a hint
  19. key — the most important part
  20. roll — a list
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — in music

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