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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — the underground
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cue — a signal

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