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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: arm · charge · cue · game · chair · firm · spring · tube

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — a price
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spring — the season
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — for pool
  23. firm — a company
  24. spring — of water

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