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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bound — tied together
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — a law
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. file — a document
  24. net — in sport

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