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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · object · cue · ball · bat · lean · arm · rock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chair — a leader
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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