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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 120 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: pop · pitcher · chip · cue · mark · game · racket · dip

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pop — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — a match

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