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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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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 · bay · wound · chip · board · court · pound · rash

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — a hint
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of law
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — of a king

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