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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: cue · pound · branch · bound · key · chip · snap · mark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. snap — to click
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — a division
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. bound — certain
  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