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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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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: club · swing · cue · arm · stem · suit · drill · fine

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fine — all right
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — the tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — to fit

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