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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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. land — a country
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bat — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cue — a hint

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