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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: bat · hand · rush · cue · game · ruler · arm · staff

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bat — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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