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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: fine · arm · bark · game · spring · coach · leaves · cue

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spring — the season
  11. cue — for pool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — all right
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — a hint
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bark — of a tree

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