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

Word bank: pit · stick · kid · club · press · arm · roll · cue

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. roll — a list
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pit — in a race
  6. press — newspapers
  7. club — for golf
  8. roll — a cake
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. press — to push
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cue — for pool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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