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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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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: court · chip · tube · cue · row · charge · snap · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. charge — in control
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. court — of a king
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bound — certain
  22. snap — to click
  23. court — of law
  24. row — a line

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