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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — hurry
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. cold — not warm
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cold — an illness
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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