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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 116 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: game · mate · chip · rule · bay · bark · mug · cue

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mug — a face
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — in a computer

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