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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: cue · bass · arm · saw · kid · staff · foot · ruler

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — a signal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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