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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: wake · deal · arm · band · ground · swing · mark · cue

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cue — a hint
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a music group
  24. arm — part of the body

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