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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: suit · bear · dip · staff · arm · cue · deal · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — to fit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a hint
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — in cards
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — an agreement

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