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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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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — the earth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a ring
  18. ball — a round shape

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