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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: game · chip · lie · march · mark · cue · bore · swing

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. march — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cue — a signal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — to eat

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