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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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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: cell · present · cap · arm · fine · game · stick · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — all right
  6. present — a gift
  7. cell — a phone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — the time now
  22. club — a group
  23. cap — of ice
  24. present — there

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