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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: cue · spell · chip · lie · racket · net · board · rest

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a signal
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — in sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — a break
  15. chip — to eat
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — magic
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — an untruth

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