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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 116 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: mark · chip · scale · hand · cue · object · lie · ball

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — for betting
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — in music

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