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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: cue · stem · deal · sharp · mate · arm · rule · game

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — a hint
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — a law
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — to handle
  24. arm — part of the body

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