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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a signal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — shares
  24. swing — in golf

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