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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 120 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: hide · rule · cue · net · row · arm · track · swing

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — a hint
  5. swing — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. swing — in golf
  10. row — a line
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — for catching
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — a song
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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