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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: cue · mug · fork · arm · band · roll · perch · kick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. roll — a cake
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. band — a music group

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