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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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468
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: cabinet · chip · key · hand · cue · kid · bass · mouse

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — help
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — low music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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