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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 stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bound — certain
  10. date — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — a container
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cue — for pool

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