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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stand — to bear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bat — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — on your feet

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