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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stock · cue · rest · foot · arm · mug · sharp

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stock — goods
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rest — a break
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. club — for golf

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