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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
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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: deal · mark · spell · arm · cue · game · chair · plane

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — a match
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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