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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: game · bank · fork · cue · kick · wind · suit · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — of a river
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — in a computer

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