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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: mate · arm · cue · fork · foot · chair · ball · rule

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a friend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a great time

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