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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 · cue · rest · chip · staff · mate · last · bark

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cue — a signal
  9. last — to go on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — wild animals
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — final
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — a hint

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