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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — a law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — government
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — a leader
  24. foot — part of the body

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