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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: game · object · arm · chair · cue · straw · mate · march

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. object — a thing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mate — a friend
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. march — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — a match

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