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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · cue · ground · patient · court · chip · pop · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — government
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. court — of a king
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — a law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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