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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: cue · pitch · ball · snap · club · mine · chip · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — for golf
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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