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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · cue · squash · pit · game · cap · chip · pitcher

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — a stick
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — to crush
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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