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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a music group
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a ring
  17. cue — a hint
  18. calf — of the leg

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