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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — a law
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — government
  14. fall — the season
  15. board — to get on
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a music group
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a rubber band

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