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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: object · game · arm · cue · chair · toast · foot · band

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. object — to protest
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a ring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. object — a thing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. toast — bread
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. band — a music group
  23. chair — a leader
  24. object — an aim

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