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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · arm · cue · bank · calf · date · hand · stem

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — a group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stem — to come from
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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