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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — ground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cue — a signal
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — music
  11. land — a country
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mark — a grade
  22. track — to keep track
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — a path

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