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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. key — in music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pass — to spend time

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